POMONA, NY- Despite a fantastic pitching performance by David Fischer, the Boulders were unable to match the Ottawa Champions in their last comeback in the final game of the championship, losing 3-1, giving the Champions their first ever Can-Am title.
Fischer (1-1) struggled in the early goings, allowing two runs in the first, but settled down quickly afterwards. He sailed easily through Ottawa’s lineup, matching their starter, Austin Chrismon (1-1) pitch for pitch. After getting out of a bases loaded jam unscathed in the third, momentum seemed to shift in favor of Rockland.
Finally they were able to break through against Chrismon in the fourth, when Devin Harris smoked an RBI double, driving in Marcus Nidiffer to pull Rockland within one. However, neither offense could get anything of substance going against either pitcher, with both showing their dominant stuff that made them the best two pitchers in the league during the regular season.
In the eighth, a fatigued Fischer allowed an insurance home run to Champion DH Kenny Bryant. Richard Salazar came in and shut down Ottawa afterwards.
In the ninth though, the rallying Boulders wouldn’t go down without a fight. After Castro flied out to leadoff the inning, Marcus Nidiffer laced a single to bring the tying run up in Jared Schlehuber. Shclehuber then proceeded to hit an absolute bomb to left that hooked just three feet shy of being a game tying home run, just resting foul.
After he struck out, Devin Harris came up to hit, and he smoked a single, giving the Boulders runners on first and second with two outs. Mike Montville then was unable to pull out more heroics for a Boulders team that was full of them during the regular season, as Chrismon forced a pop-out to third base to end the game. Nidiffer and Harris did all the hitting for the Boulders in the game, each going 3-4.
The loss marks the end of the 2016 Can-Am season. The Boulders were looking for their second title, after winning the crown in 2014. The Ottawa Champions won their first title, after the franchise was formed at the beginning of last season.